Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T06:15:19.842Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mixing induces long-term hyperthermia in growing pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

I. C. de Jong ,
E. Lambooij ,
S. M. Korte ,
H. J. Blokhuis  and
J. M. Koolhaas
I. C. de Jong
Affiliation:
Institute for Animal Science and Health, Department of Behaviour, Stress Physiology and Management, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands Department of Animal Physiology, University of Groningen, PO Box 14, 9750AA Haren, The Netherlands
E. Lambooij
Affiliation:
Institute for Animal Science and Health, Department of Behaviour, Stress Physiology and Management, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
S. M. Korte
Affiliation:
Institute for Animal Science and Health, Department of Behaviour, Stress Physiology and Management, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
H. J. Blokhuis
Affiliation:
Institute for Animal Science and Health, Department of Behaviour, Stress Physiology and Management, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
J. M. Koolhaas
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology, University of Groningen, PO Box 14, 9750AA Haren, The Netherlands
Get access

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether body temperature is a sensitive parameter to measure long-term effects of stress in pigs. Mixing of unacquainted pigs is a severe stressor that has detrimental effects on health, production and welfare. We measured deep body temperature after mixing growing pigs. Five pigs of 15 weeks of age, each individually housed with a companion pig, were mixed with two unacquainted congeners. Deep body temperature, heart rate and activity were recorded by radiotelemetry 9 days prior to until 8 days after mixing. These parameters were also recorded in five control pigs (individually housed with a companion pig) during the same time span. Behaviour during the light period was recorded on videotape on the day of mixing and on three subsequent days. Mixing induced a significant rise in body temperature that lasted for 8 h after mixing. Although heart rate and general activity level did not significantly differ between mixed and control pigs, mixing significantly increased the frequency of fighting and reduced the frequency of eating. In conclusion, the present experiment shows that mixing induces a long-lasting hyperthermia in pigs. Thus, deep body temperature may be used as a sensitive parameter to measure long-term effects of stress in pigs.

Keywords

activitybody temperatureheart ratepigsstress
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 69 , Issue 3 , December 1999 , pp. 601 - 605
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bliese, E. 1995. Emotional hyperthermia and performance in humans. Physiology and Behavior 58: 615–618.Google Scholar
Ekkel, E. D., Doorn, C. E. A. van, Hessing, M. J. C. and Tielen, M. J. M. 1995. The specific-stress-free housing system has positive effects on productivity, health, and welfare of pigs. Journal of Animal Science 73: 1544–1551.Google Scholar
Ekkel, E. D. 1996. Impact of farrow-to-finish production on health and welfare of pigs. Thesis, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Ekkel, E. D., Savenije, B., Schouten, W. G. P. and Tielen, M.J. M. 1996. Health, welfare, and productivity of pigs housed under specific-stress-free conditions in comparison with two-site systems. Journal of Animal Science 74: 2081–2087.Google Scholar
Friend, T. H., Knabe, D. H. and Tanksley, T. D. 1983. Behavior and performance of pigs grouped by three different methods at weaning. Journal of Animal Science 57: 1406–1411.Google Scholar
Genstat 5 Committee. 1989. GENSTAT 5 release 3 reference manual. Clarendon Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Geverink, N.A., Bradshaw, R. H., Lambooij, E., Wiegant, V. M. and Broom, D. M. 1998. Effects of simulated lairage conditions on the physiology and behaviour of pigs. Veterinary Record 143: 241–244.Google Scholar
Heetkamp, M. J. W., Schrama, J. W., Jong, L. de, Swinkels, J. W. G. M., Schouten, W. G. P. and Bosch, M. W. 1995. Energy metabolism in young pigs as affected by mixing. Journal of Animal Science 73: 3562–3569.Google Scholar
Johnson, R. W. and Von Borell, E. 1994. Lipopolysaccharide-induced sickness behavior in pigs is inhibited by pretreatment with Indomethacin. Journal of Animal Science 72: 309–314.Google Scholar
Jong, I. C. de, Ekkel, E. D., Burgwal, J. A. van de, Lambooij, E., Korte, S. M., Ruis, M. A. W., Koolhaas, J. M. and Blokhuis, H. J. 1998. Effects of strawbedding on physiological responses to Stressors and behaviour in growing pigs. Physiology and Behavior 64: 303–310.Google Scholar
Kluger, M. J., O’Reilly, B., Shope, T. R. and Vander, A. J. 1987. Further evidence that stress hyperthermia is a fever. Physiology and Behavior 39: 763–766.Google Scholar
McGlone, J. J. and Curtis, S. E. 1985. Behaviour and performance of weanling pigs in pens equipped with hide areas. Journal of Animal Science 60: 20–24.Google Scholar
Marchant, J. N., Mendl, M. T., Rudd, A. R. and Broom, D.M. 1995. The effect of agonistic interactions on the heart rate of group-housed sows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 46: 49–56.Google Scholar
Meerlo, P., Boer, S. F. de, Koolhaas, J. M., Daan, S. and Hoofdakker, R. H. van den. 1996. Changes in daily rhythms of body temperature and activity after a single social defeat in rats. Physiology and Behavior 59: 735–739.Google Scholar
Otten, W., Puppe, B., Stabenow, B., Kanitz, E., Schön, P. C., Brüssow, K. P. and Nürnberg, G. 1997. Agonistic interactions and physiological reactions of top- and bottom-ranking pigs confronted with a familiar and an unfamiliar group: preliminary results. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 55: 79–90.Google Scholar
Parrott, R. F. and Lloyd, D. M. 1995. Restraint, but not frustration, induces prostaglandin-mediated hyperthermia in pigs. Physiology and Behavior 57: 1051–1055.Google Scholar
Parrott, R. F. and Misson, B. H., 1989. Changes in pig salivary cortisol in response to transport simulation, food and water deprivation, and mixing. British Veterinary Journal 145: 501–505.Google Scholar
Ruis, M. A. W., Te Brake, J. H. A., Buwalda, B., Boer, S. F. de, Meerlo, P., Korte, S. M., Blokhuis, H. J. and Koolhaas, J. M. 1999. Housing familiar male wildtype rats together reduces the long-term adverse behavioural and physiological effects of social defeat. Psychoneuroendocrinólogy 24: 285–300.Google Scholar
Rushen, J. 1987. A difference in weight reduces fighting when unacquainted newly weaned pigs first meet. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 67: 951–960.Google Scholar
Tornatzky, W. and Micze, K. A. 1993. Long-term impairment of autonomie circadian rhythms after brief intermittent social stress. Physiology and Behavior 53: 983–993.Google Scholar
Zethof, T. J. J., Heyden, J. A. M. van der, Tolboom, J. T. B. M. and Olivier, B. 1994. Stress-induced hyperthermia in mice: a methodological study. Physiology and Behavior 55: 109–115.Google Scholar